


One Last Call

by floatingpetals



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, F/M, Gun Violence, Last Minute Confessions, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 21:08:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18819055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingpetals/pseuds/floatingpetals
Summary: A mission had gone horribly wrong. She knew things were grim, and she had something she desperately needed to get off her chest. All she needed was one last call





	1. One Last Call

Y/N chuckled faintly, wincing at the searing pain that shot through her side. She drew the hand that clutched her side to her face, soaked in her blood. Well shit. She sighed and let her hand fall back to the wound. That’s not what you want.

This wasn’t a hard mission, at least that’s what she was told. It was just a simple solo recon mission. Something went wrong down along the line of information. These drug dealers weren’t the smartest they’ve come across. Someone had to have leaked information, which meant they had a mole in their ranks and Y/N dreaded hearing that investigation. Y/N didn’t think the drug dealers she was casing would have been tipped off, but when they caught sight of her tailing one of their drug mules, they chased her down guns firing away.

Fortunately, she was able to escape. Unfortunately, it wasn’t without injury. A stray bullet hit her side and lodge inside her. She only had time to duck behind a storage shed, biting her lip to keep quiet as her attackers ran past, screaming and shouting as they went. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe until she knew it was clear. However, when she supposed she was in clear; she didn’t have the energy to move. Laying there in her own pool of blood tucked away behind a shed somewhere in the middle of Ukraine, Y/N realized things weren’t going to work out like she thought.

She leaned back against the back of the shed, staring up at the cloudy sky above her. It looks like it might rain, Y/N thought serenely. A chill was starting to seep in her bones, her eyes growing heavy. Y/N let out a sigh and dug through her pockets. Her fingers struggled to grip her phone, trembling as she pressed her thumb against the screen to unlock it. Opening her phone app, Y/N hit the last name she dialed.

**‘Calling ‘Steve Rogers’**

Cradling, the phone between her ear and shoulder, Y/N bit her lip and clutched her side as she waited. The call hadn’t rung twice before she heard the soft timber she had fallen in love with. Back in the States, Steve was sitting in the common room watching one of the shows Y/N recommended when his phone lit up on the coffee table. He frowned and scooped it up in his hand.

“Y/N?” He answered, confused and anxious. She never called on a mission before unless something was wrong.

“Hey, Stevie.” Y/N said cheerily, swallowing her pain.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you supposed to be doing recon right now?”

“Yeah, but I got bored.” Y/N sighed. “I just wanted to call and talk for a little bit.”

“Okay,” Steve said slowly. He glanced over to where Tony was in the kitchen, catching his eye. Tony frowned and sat up at the jerking Steve did to the tablet on the table. “What did you want to talk about?”

Y/N was silent for a moment, her thoughts fuzzy as she struggled to keep it together. Blinking rapidly, Y/N bit back a hiss as she sat up.

“Y/N?”

“Sorry, got distracted.” She murmured. “Do you remember when Sam switched the sugar with salt?”

“Yeah,” Steve snorted. Of course, he remembered that. He ended up spewing the drink all over the counter after taking a giant gulp. “He meant for Bucky to use it but I ended up being the one who found it when I added it to my coffee.”

“And how now you only drink your coffee black because of it.” Y/N giggled. Her heart flipped in her chest when she heard Steve’s echoing laughter. It was always one of her favorite sounds, and she didn’t hear enough of it. He was always so reserved, he hardly ever let his guard down enough to laugh. To hear it right in what she assumed could be her last minutes on earth was something she’d never forget.

“I always taste the sugar before I use any,” Steve sighed. Motioning for Tony to pull up a tablet, he leaned back against the seat. Tony had already caught on and was pulling up her location on the tablet. “I know you’re not calling me because you’re bored. What happened Y/N?”

“Nothin’. I just wanted to hear your voice.” Y/N said softly, her voice growing weaker. Steve frowned.

“Y/N?”

“Have I ever told you I liked your voice?” She went on. “It’s always been soothing for me, even when you’re in all ‘Angry-Captain-Mode’.”

“Angry-Captain-Mode?” Steve chuckled, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “When have I done that?”

“Oh please.” Y/N giggled. Tony even raised a brow at Steve, rolling his eyes before turning back to the tablet. “You do it whenever someone does something stupid. Like last week it was with the new kid that didn’t make sure the range was clear before he began shooting.”

“Well, that’s because he was an idiot. He could have killed someone.” Steve grumbled, his voice growing angrier at the recollection. “He deserved to get yelled at and to be demoted.”

“You’re not wrong. But I still liked your voice. No matter what your mood is” Y/N sucked in a shuddering breath. She clutched her side, the blood still seeping from her wounds. She eyed the growing pool below her, surprised at how much lost and the mere fact she was still conscious. But the edges of around her eyesight begun to fade, she knew her time was limited. Slowly, she came back to him shouting her name.

“Y/N? Y/N? Y/N!” Steve repeated, and icy fear slipping into his veins. He could hear a gurgle over the line, her breathing growing shallow as she started to fad. He knew that sound. No, he thought, there’s no way. His heart began to beat in his chest, panic watching over him. “Hey, I need you to stay with me.”

Y/N coughed through her laugh, smiling at how sweet he was, despite figuring out she was lying. Of course, he’d figure it out. He’s not stupid.

“You’re right about that. I’m not.” Steve replied shortly. Y/N blinked.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes, doll you did. What happened? I need you to stay awake.” Steve pleaded. Tony shot up from the table, Y/N’s cell location pinging on his tablet. He set out an alert to the rest of the team, already in motion to get on a jet and find her. Steve took off after, not even caring he didn’t have on any shoes. “Tell me what happened.”

“You know when they tell you, you see your life flash before your eyes? Well, they never tell you how hard it is to watch everything over again.” Y/N whispered. “I’ve done a lot of stupid things.”

“No, you haven’t, but if you don’t tell me what’s happened you might just get one added to the list.” Steve reprimanded, climbing into the jet. He tried to ignore the mounting panic and buckled in, barely sparing the others a second glance. All that matter was keeping Y/N awake.

Y/N hummed, her body growing heavy. She struggled to keep her eyes open, a tiny sliver of determination keeping her alert.  

“Nah. That’s not what’s I’m talkin’ ‘bout.” She slurred. “I never told you the truth.”

“Truth? What truth?” Steve pressed, desperate to keep her talking. A lump formed in his throat, tears building in his eyes. He wasn’t going to lose her. He realized now how much time he spent wasting hiding his feelings. He couldn’t lose another woman he loved. 

Tony had already set up the coordinates and took off in the air before he turned in his seat to Steve.

“I’ve contacted the Ukraine police. They have her location. We won’t get to her in time, but hopefully, they can.”

Steve nodded, though it did little soothe his fears and clenched his free hand into a fist on his lap.

“Why’s it so cold, Stevie?” Y/N whimpered. Her wound finally stopped bleeding, but she knew she lost too much blood. It was getting hard to keep her head up. There wasn’t much time left. “I wish I was back on in media room, curled up next you. You’re always so warm. I miss that.”

“Y/N” Steve croaked. The way his voice broke caused all the heads to snap up in the jet, everyone sensing things were already gone too far downhill. “Baby, please. Don’t do this. You’re going to be okay. Is there any way you can get to a hospital?”

“I-I can’t.” Y/N whispered.  “Steve, before I go, I want you to know somethin’.”

“No- Y/N, don’t say that-.”

“I love you. Always have.”

Steve inhaled sharply, tightly clenching his eyes shut. Through the agony Steve bit the inside of his cheek, fighting back the tears and nodded.

“I love you too. Please, you’re not goin’ anywhere.”

“Keep kicking ass, Stevie.” Y/N uttered. “I’m sorry I suck at timing.”

“No, no you don’t,” Steve shook his head. In the distance of the call, he could hear the faint sounds of sirens. He just needed to keep her talking, just for a bit longer. “I should have said it sooner. I was scared I’d lose you if I did, but this is worse. We’re gonna talk more about this. You’re going to be okay, just stay with me. Just until the medics can help you. They’re on their way.”

“Don’t worry Cap. I’ll love you always.”

The air was knocked from his lungs when he heard the phone slip from her hand, clattering to the ground. He shoved his fingers through his hair, the tears streaming down his face now. He didn’t, couldn’t, hold back the sobs that wracked through his chest, hearing her gurgle one last time before she grew silent. The sirens grew in crescendo, blaring in his ears at the local police came around and found where Y/N lay. He couldn’t understand a word they spoke, but he knew the sound in their tones. It’s a defeated tone he knew all too well.

There was static, the phone being picked up and a man’s voice came on the other end of the line.

“Здрастуйте? Хто це?”

“Do you speak English?” Steve croaked.

“так. Yes, I do.” The man with the thick accent on the other end replied gruffly. “Do you know who she is?”

“Yes, she’s an agent with the Avengers. We’re the ones who sent in her location. Is she alive? How bad is she?”

There was a heavy silence on the other end, the sound of medics shouting over the sirens. He could hear them giving orders, could tell it was frantic and commanding. He had no clue if she was alive or not. He desperately prayed she was still breathing. The rest of the team waited with bated breath, still hours away from Y/N’s last location. There had to be a chance.

“Мені шкода… I’m so sorry.”

The phone slipped from his fingers, the screen shattering against the floor of the jet much like Steve’s life before his eyes.  


	2. Maybe Not

Natasha was there the second the phone slipped from Steve’s fingers. She knew how important Y/N was in his life, how quickly he had grown to care for the woman. It was heartbreaking to watch; he was just forced to listen to her dying breath and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tony let out a heavy sigh, biting back his own set of tears. His gaze swept around the rest of the team, seeing similar reactions on the rest of the team. They fought back their own tears, the air was thick and somber. With heavy steps, he walked over to the discarded phone on the floor and picked it up. He paused when he heard shouting from the other end. The line must not have dropped. Raising the phone to his ear, he winced after a loud shout and snapped back.

“Hey-What’s going on?”

The officer on the other end let out a string of words in Ukrainian before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Добре. Ти все ще там.”

“Yup. Gotta speak English.” Tony said flatly. He figured they’d need to discuss where to pick up Y/N’s body, no doubt they’d have to take her to a corner before they could get her back to them. To bring her home one last time. The words the officer spoke next made Tony’s heart burst with hope.

“She’s still breathing.”

Sinking back into his seat, Tony let out the breath he was holding. Voice shaking he asked the man to repeat himself.

“The woman. We were able to get her breathing.” The officer said. He could hear the sirens pulling away in the distance, the officer closing his car door. “She’s in critical condition, but she is alive. For now.”

“Oh-That’s-“ Tony was at a loss for words, fresh tears now streaming down his face. Only this time they weren’t for sorrow. “What hospital are you taking her to?”

“A local hospital. They need to do surgery. There’s still a bullet in her side-.”

“Yes. Get her in and get it out. Do not let her code on us again.” Tony said firmly, spinning around in his seat to go at the controls. He kicked the jet into overdrive, pushing it to its limits.

Behind him, the rest of the team listened in shock. Steve’s sobs had stopped, his eyes wide as Tony explained that they were a few hours away. He glanced at Bucky, whose eyes were just as bloodshot as his. Was this a joke, or was Y/N still alive?

“I’ll send you the coordinates to our landing site. We’ll need transportation to the hospital. You can? Great.” Tony flipped off his tears and switched into the leading role. Y/N meant a lot to him as well, but someone needed to step in until Steve could recollect his emotions. Tony understood, he was the same and is the same when it comes to Pepper. “What’s your number? I’ll text you from my phone when we’re close and you can keep us updated.”

Natasha passed Steve a tissue, a happy smile spreading on her face. This was good. Y/N was still alive. Barely, but she was alive.

“Talk to you later.” Tony hung up the phone and spun around to address everyone. “We have great news and bad news. Good news, Y/N might have coded before they arrived but by some miracle, they were able to bring her back. Bad news; she’s hanging by a thread, needs surgery and we’re still five hours out.  Petro, the cop who answered her phone, says she’s got a bullet they need to get out and is suffering from significant blood loss and definitely has internal damage. She’s probably going to just get out of surgery by the time we get there if the damage is as extensive as they thought.”

“But she’s alive?” Natasha asked, resting a hand on Steve’s shoulder. Tony smiled, although grimly, and nodded.

“She’s a fighter apparently.”

Steve stared down at his hands on his lap and gave a watery chuckle.

“That’s my girl.”

~~~~

True to Tony’s word, six hours later the jet landed in a field just outside of the village Y/N was sent to. Right where he said he would be, was Office Petro and four squad cars. He shook hands with Tony and directed them to pile in the cars. Steve joined Tony with Petro, eager to learn about Y/N’s status.

“She just got of surgery,” The bigger man said in his heavy accent. His voice was rough but gentle. He understood their concern for the woman he thought too was dead. She would have been another unfortunate statistic to the death of drug crimes around the area. “If you don’t mind me asking, why was she in the area we found her. You say she is an agent?”

“Yes,” Steve replied. “She was supposed to be tailing some of the drug dealers around this area. They’re small, but the demands for the drugs they supply is quickly growing. It’s a mix of molly and Adderall that a lot of younger teens seem to prefer.”  

“Ah, yes. They have quickly become a problem around here. But how would they know they were being watched by anyone, let alone a single woman?”

That caused Steve and Tony to pause. Petro was right. How else would they have known about Y/N? The gang wasn’t known for its use of guns and violence as of yet. They both shared a look, fury starting to build in their chests. Someone tipped them off.

“Anyways. The last thing they told me was she’s in ICU. She coded once on the table, but they were able to bring back once more.” Petro sounded impressed. “I don’t know what you give her to eat, but she wasn’t ready to leave just yet.”

Tony grimaced a part of him proud of Y/N but worried she wasn’t going to make it through the night.

“She’s a stubborn one, that’s for sure.” He clapped a hand on Petro’s shoulder. Petro pulled up to the front entrance of the hospital, throwing the car in park. Steve was out of the car before it stopped, desperate to see Y/N, to make sure she was still breathing.  

The nurse at the front desk had seen a lot of things in her days. Bullet wounds, people with limbs handing on by a thread, even people with screwdrivers embedded in their thighs. Looking up to see  _The_ Captain America, Ironman and party rush up to the desk looking like they were ready to tear the walls down was a different level of terror she experienced that day.

“There’s a woman, Y/N Y/L/N. She was brought in a few hours ago for a bullet wound and just came out of surgery.” Steve demanded, leaning over the desk. The nurses’ mouth fell open, her wide eyes darting frantically between the Avengers that loomed over her desk. She shook her head, unable to understand English. Petro tutted and pushed the overbearing Captain aside.

“She doesn’t speak English.” He explained and then turned to the woman. He explained quickly, asking for the room number Y/N was in. Relief washed over the woman, nodding quickly and leaned over the desk to point down the hall as she spoke. Petro turned to the Avengers. “She’s on the third floor, room 308. I’ll come so you don’t scare the other nurses.”

Steve bit back a snarl but nodded. He needed to get to Y/N, not get thrown out for terrorizing the natives. He followed a step behind Petro anxiously. The ride up was excruciating, and the walk to her room was terrifying. Petro stopped him at the door, waving to a sink.

“They want you to wash before you go in and only one at a time.”

“You go ahead.” Tony patted Steve on the shoulder. Steve stay rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the door in front of him. “Go on Cap. The team and I have things we have to take care of. Go see your girl.”

As he walked over to the sink, the reality of what happened and what he was about to step in to hit him. His stomach felt like someone filled it with lead, and his legs struggled to hold up his weight. He was terrified. He already thought he lost her once, just seconds after admitting how much she meant to him. She was nowhere near out of the clear. The second he’d open that door, it meant this was all real. It wasn’t some twisted nightmare he was forced to live through.

Nothing in his line of work could have ever compared to slowly opening the door and seeing Y/N hooked up to all machines. The door shut softly behind him, the click releasing the silent tears he held back. She looked so frail, her skin a sickly shade lighter than her usual tone. His heat shattered in his chest. He moved to stand beside her, afraid if he took her hand in his he’d hurt her further.

Letting out a heavy breath, Steve pulled the chair closer to her beside and delicately reached out to take her hand in his. Her skin was clammy and cold, but he could feel her faint heartbeat. It was enough to soothe his fears for now, even though he knew she still had a long recovery ahead of her. Pressing a kiss against the balk of her hand, he settled in beside her for the long wait for her to wake.

~~~~

The door popped open, startling Steve awake. He blinked, blearily looking for the newcomer. Bucky walked in with a fast food bag in one hand, and a giant drink in the other.

“Hey.” He greeted, passing the food over to his friend and sat in one of the large armchairs. Steve mumbled thanks and turned his eyes back to Y/N. They had taken her out of ICU three days ago, her body healed enough that she didn’t need to be on constant care. She, however, had yet to wake up. The doctors assured the team it wasn’t a bad thing, she went through extensive trauma and her body would wake on its own. Now in a new room, Tony made sure she got the best treatment he could get her. After two weeks sitting on the painful plastic chairs, Steve was grateful for the soft chairs in the nicer room.

“How’s she doin’?” Bucky asked, his eyes growing sad looking over her prone body.

“Same as yesterday,” Steve replied solemnly. Bucky grunted and reached in his pocket, pulling out a phone. He passed it over to Steve.

“Tony fixed it for you. Also wanted to let you know we found the assholes who did this. Natasha made sure the rest that went into hiding wouldn’t ever come back.” Bucky said with a hint of pride. Steve felt the corners of his lips turn up in a smirk. “Doesn’t mean they’ll stay there long. Natasha and Wanda both took this to a whole other level.”

“Good,” Steve stated, digging the food out from the bag. Bucky smirked.

“Tony threw a fit when he couldn’t get us the suite in the only hotel here in town. So, they set us up in the honeymoon suite.” Bucky muffled a groan and rolled his head to look at Steve. “It’s been an interesting few weeks. You ever gonna come up to the room?”

Steve shook his head, chewing on a bite from the burger. The room had a shower, and he had Natasha bring him a change of clothes and deodorant. The only time he left was when he went to get coffee or food from the cafeteria. The nurses and doctors stopped trying to push him out after visiting hours, instead opting to just ask him to stay in the room with Y/N. Not that he ever had plans on leaving her side for too long.

“Come on man.” Bucky started up. “You can’t stay here the whole time. You need to sleep. In a bed. And not curled up on a half stuff ottoman in a hospital.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but no Buck. I can’t leave her.” Steve said firmly. “I wasn’t there for her when she needed me, but I’m going to be here for her when she wakes up.”

Bucky fell quiet, observing Steve for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

“Alright. But when she wakes up and bitches you out for not taking care of yourself, give me a heads up. I want to get a seat and popcorn for that show.”

“You’re hilarious,” Steve stated dryly. Bucky flashed him a toothy grin and swung a leg over the arm of his chair.

“That’s why you keep me around.”

“Punk.”

“Dick.”

“Hey now. That’s rude.”

The two froze, their eyes going wide at the scratchy feminine voice that entered the fray. Their heads snapped towards the bed, both their eyes growing wide in shock. Steve moved first, vaulting off the chair to rush to Y/N’s side. He grabbed her hand while Bucky shot off outside to grab a nurse, giving the two a moment before the doctors would come rushing in.

“Shit, sweetheart.” Steve croaked, the tears starting all over again. “I’m so glad to see you’re awake! How are you feeling? What hurts?”

“Slow down, Stevie.” Y/N giggled, wincing at the flash of pain that shot up her side. “Clearly, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Jesus, you gave me a heart attack. I thought I lost you.” Steve stated his voice cracking. “I heard you die. I just-.”

“Hey.” Y/N interrupted. She reached her free hand up, and cupped his cheek, brushing her thumb along his lips. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that. I didn’t though. I’m here. That’s all that matters.”

Steve couldn’t say a word, his voice caught up in his throat. Instead, he did what he’d wanted to since the day he realized he started to fall for her. He closed the distance between them and pressed a searing kiss against her lips. Y/N melted under his touch, tugging him closer. They didn’t pull back until the door swung open, the doctors filtering in.

Stepping back, Steve’s eyes never left Y/N as the doctors went through the motions. A smile spread on his face, his eyes shining with fresh unshed tears. He wasn’t going to mess this up. He was tired of being careful. He had a second chance, and he wasn’t going to ruin it.

**Author's Note:**

> I used google translate for the translations, so if it's wrong I'm sorry! It was the google.


End file.
